This week in Westminster has been exceptionally busy with the preparations for the Autumn Statement.

On Thursday, I will be supporting the Chancellor in the chamber as he delivers the budget and then I will be pitching in with other Treasury colleagues and doing my share of the post-budget media interviews.

On Sunday, I was very sorry to miss the Remembrance Sunday observances in Salisbury for the first time since becoming an MP.

This was because cabinet members’ presence is required at The Cenotaph.

This was the first opportunity I have ever had to attend the national commemorations in London. It was a rare privilege to stand right in front of The Cenotaph and hear the Last Post played.

It was a very moving occasion that will stay with me forever.

The preceding Friday, it was my honour to observe the two-minute silence at 11am on the 11th alongside the staff and volunteers of Salisbury Food Bank.

I am grateful for their invitation to spend the morning at their Ashfield Road HQ learning about their recent experiences and expectations for the winter.

The time absolutely flew by, and I thank everyone for a lively and extremely useful conversation.

I have long been aware of the exceptional willingness of Salisbury people to step up and help members of their community in need.

And it was a pleasure to meet and chat with The Trussell Trust’s founders when they last visited from New Zealand.

As a former deputy chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group For Food Poverty, the work of food banks across the country has been a long term interest of mine.

But there is no substitute for hearing from people on the ground about how their day-to-day work is reflecting the pressures of inflation.

I was also interested in how they use their experience to, not just meet immediate need, but to look deeper into the complex circumstances of some clients to help them break the cycle of need.

At the end of this week, I am back in Salisbury to meet three local businesses, each with different issues they have asked me to investigate.

I am also visiting the Fire Station to talk about funding and I am looking forward to marking Parliament Week by facing questions from local and district Girl Guides.